Derrick substructure



J Oct. 14, 1947. H. J. WOOLSLAYER ETAL DERRICK SUBSTRUCTURE Filed Feb. 9, 194.6 S SheetS-Sheet 1 WITNESSJES: 6

ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 14, 1947. H. J. WOOLSLAYER EI'AL 2,429,010

. DERRICK SUBSTRUG'TURE Filed Feb. 9,- 1946 3 Shgets-Sheet s 0 #8? I I I o. v 7 C) flea 65 60% MwM a ATTORNEYS.

the height of structure; Fig. the line II-II Patented Oct. 14, 1947 OFFICE DERRICK 'SUBSTRUGTURE v Homer J. .Woolslayer, Erwin A. Campbell, and Cecil Jenkins, Tulsa, Okla., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Lee C. Moore Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 9, 1-946, SerialNo. 646,591

9 Cla ms- This invention relates to welldrilling apparatus, and more particularly to substructures for oil well masts or derricks.

In the drillingand pumping of oil wells the practice has been adopted of using portable derricks and related equipment so that the apparatus can be moved from one location to another. Thus, a portable substructure may be used on which a removable mast can be mounted which can be swung from an upright position to a horizontal position along the ground. With such apparatus it also is necessary to move the hoisting equipment or draw works onto and off the substructure. This generally presents quite a .problem because the draw works is heavy and has to be skidded from a truck onto the substructure.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a derrick substructure onto which or from which a draw works or hoist can quickly and easily be moved, which facilitates the rapid transportation of such a hoist from one location to another, which forms afirm foundation for the hoist, and which requires but little labor to mount and dismount the hoist.

In accordance with this invention a derrick substructure of moderate height is provided with a bay which can beentered from one end of the structure. In the lower part of the bay there are ramps which are adapted to receive a hoistsupporting trailer, which has been backed up the ramps, andtoelevateit high enough to locate the bottom of the hoist at'the top and preferably above the bay. Removable cross members are fastened across .thebay below the hoist after the trailer has been backed into it, and the hoist then is lowered in order to set it upon the cross members which form a firm foundation for the hoist. The hoist can be lowered, for example, by letting the air out ofthe pneumatic tires of the trailer, or by lowering the ramps. Thelatter can be accomplishedin any convenient manner, preferably by mounting. the ramps on jacks which can be decreased. When it is desired toremove thehoist from the substructure the ramps are raisedin order to lift the hoist from the .supporting cross members which .then are ,removed from the bay. The trailer then can behookeduto a truck and pulled out of the open bay,

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accgmpanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan viewgof our improved sub- ;2 isa vertical section taken on of Fig. 1 and showingahoist mounted on a trailer whichhas been backed into the substructure bay;, ,ig. 3 is an end view of the hoist and substructure taken on the line III-III of Fig.2; Fig.4 is, a fragmentary side View show ing thehoist lowered onto the substructure; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of one end of one of the cross beams which support two side frames andtheir central portions are' econnected by cross beams-8 and '9, and thereis a similar beam It located'bet-ween the two just mentioned. These beams likewisemay be coveredwith steel plates II and I2, on one of which a rotary table J3 (Fig. ,1) for rotary. drillin may be ,mounted. Behind the central cross "beam there is an open space or bay I 4 between the side frames. This bay is shown in Fig. .1 as being open at the rear end of the substructure.

' Mounted on ,top of the substructure are the usual shoes I5 to whicha cantilever type mast can be fastened.

In the lower part of the bay there isa pair of parallel ramps extending lengthwise of the substructure .andeach of which has an inclined rear section is connected by a bottom hingel'l (Fig. 2) to a substantially horizontal front section l8. The front sections of the ramps are rigidly. mounted on a pair of parallel cross beams 19, the ends of which are supported by jacks mounted on the inner skids .5-of the substructure. As shown in Fig. 5, each jack has a vertical screw ,2i welded to the underlying skid, and a flanged circular nut 22 threaded on the screw. The nut is provided with radiaLopenings 23 to receive a rod (not shown) by which it can be turned in order to run it up or down the stationaryscrew. EIlCiIClfIlg the upper part of the nut andresting on its flange is a ring 24 which is Welded to the bottom of the adjoining cross beam l9. The jacks, therefore, connect the cross beams .to the skids, but when the nuts are turned substructure is permanently mounted on the bed 28 of a trailer which has the usual wheels 29. The trailer can be drawn from one location to another by any suitable motor vehicle. When it is desired to mount the hoist in operating position on the substructure, the trailer is backed into the substructure bay and up the inclined sections of the ramps to the horizontal sections Hi thereof. At this time the jacks are extended to elevate the ramps to their upper position so that the bed of the trailer is disposed above the top of the substructure, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the inner end of the trailer bed overlies central cross beam 9. The trailer then is disconnected from the vehicle that backed it up the ramps. Following this a pair of cross members 3| and 32 are placed across the top of the bay and are bolted to the inner top beams 3 of the side frames. Cross member 3| is located at the rear end of the substructure, and the other one is placed some distance in front of it. Both of them, of course, are beneath the bed of the trailer.

The nuts 22 on the four jacks then are turned in order to lower cross beams I!) under the ramps so that the trailer will descend until its bed rests on the cross members 9, 3| and 32 at the top of the substructure, as shown in Fig. 4. If desired,

' the trailer bed can be clamped or fastened in any suitable manner to the substructure. It will be apparent that the hoist now rests on and is supported firmly by the substructure the same as if the trailer were not present.

When it is desired to remove the hoist from the substructure for transportation to a new location, the jacks are raised in order to elevate the ramps so that the bed of the trailer will be lifted from the supporting cross members. The two removable cross members 3i and 32 then are disconnected from the substructure and taken out of the bay. The trailer is reconnected to a motor vehicle which pulls it down the ramps and out of the bay, leaving the substructure as it appears in Fig. 1.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and construction of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. In combination, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, ramps in the lower part of the bay adapted to receive and raise a hoist-supporting trailer high enough to locate the bottom of the bed of the trailer above the top of the bay, and means for lowering the ramps to set the bed of the trailer upon the substructure, whereby to steady the hoist.

2. In combination, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members extending across the top of the bay for supporting a hoist carrying trailer bed, trailer ramps in the lower part of the bay having portions extending down toward its open end, and means for raising the ramps high enough to cause the hoist-carrying trailer to lift the trailer bed from said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

3. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end,

removable cross members fastened across the top of the bay, a hoist carrying trailer bed resting on said cross members, and ramps in the lower part Of the bay for supporting the wheels of the trailer, said hoist carrying trailer bed being adapted to be raised above said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

4. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members fastened across the top of the bay, a hoist carrying trailer bed resting on said cross members, ramps in the lower part of the bay for supporting the wheels of the trailer, and means for lifting the hoist carrying trailer bed above said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

5. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members extending across the top of the bay, means for detachably fastening said cross members in place, a hoist carrying trailer bed resting on said members, ramps in the lower part of the bay for supporting the wheels of the trailer, and means for raising the ramps high enough to cause the trailer wheels to lift the hoist carrying bed from said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

6. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substucture provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members fastened across the top of the bay, a hoist carrying trailer bed resting on said cross members, ramps in the lower part of the bay for supporting the wheels of the trailer, and jacks adapted to raise the ramps in order to lift the trailer and hoist, whereby said cross members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

'7. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members fastened across the top of the bay, a hoist carrying trailer bed resting on said cross members, ramps in the lower part of the bay for supporting the wheels of the trailer, horizontal cross beams supporting the ramps, and vertically movable means supporting said beams, said means being adapted to be moved upward in order to raise said cross beams and thereby lift the hoist carrying bed from said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

8. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members fastened across the top of the bay, a hoist, a trailer bed on which the hoist is permanently mounted, said bed resting on said cross members, ramps in the lower part of the bay for supporting the wheels of the trailer and having horizontal sections hinged at one end to inclined sections extending downward toward the open end of the bay, jacks supporting said horzontal sections and adapted to be elevated in order to raise those sections high enough to cause the trailer wheels to lift the hoist carrying bed from said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of th b y.-

9. In well drilling apparatus, a derrick substructure provided with a bay open at one end, removable cross members detachably secured across the top of the bay for supporting a hoist carrying trailer bed, trailer ramps in the lower part of the bay having portions extending down toward its open end, and jacks for raising the ramps high enough to cause the hoist-carrying trailer to lift the trailer bed from said cross members, whereby said members can be removed from the substructure to permit the trailer to travel down the ramps and out of the bay.

HOMER J. WOOLSLAYER. ERWIN A. CAMPBELL. CECIL JENKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the v file of this patent: 

